Apart from being the superstar who ‘saved’ cinema with his blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise has also been in the news recently for standing by his agent Maha Dakhil. Dakhil was asked to step down from her agency CAA following her posts on social media about Palestine.
Cruise’s support of Dakhil has inspired many fans to look up the actor’s history with social issues. The last time Tom Cruise spoke up about certain issues in the industry was during the 2021 boycott of the Golden Globes due to its lack of diversity in its membership. The Mission Impossible star had returned his awards in protest.
Also read: 5 Times Tom Cruise Deserved to Win the Oscar But Was Snubbed by The Academy, Ranked
Tom Cruise Returned His Golden Globes In Protest
Actor Tom Cruise has always tried to get behind the right cause when it threatens the integrity of the film industry. In 2021, Cruise came into the headlines when he returned his three Golden Globe Awards in protest against the HFPA – the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The HFPA had come under fire after a report by the LA Times alleged that the organization had no black journalists among its members. The lack of diversity gave rise to increasing attacks on the integrity of the organization and its journalists. Accusations of bribery and special treatment in order to sway their decisions arose from prominent actors.
Actors such as Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffao gave out statements that condemned the practices of the HFPA while production houses such as Netflix and Amazon refused to work with the organization until the changes were made. Broadcast network NBC refused to air the year’s Golden Globe Awards ceremony, which is organized by the HFPA.
Tom Cruise’s return prompted more eyes on the issue which has been plaguing the industry for a while. Statements by prominent actors such as Cruise, Johansson, and more have triggered a response from the HFPA and have steered them in a direction toward change. The actor, however, was reportedly snubbed at the awards this year.
Which Movies Did Tom Cruise Win The Golden Globes For?
With three Golden Globe Awards and four Academy Award nominations, Tom Cruise is a legacy actor who has worked hard to establish himself in the industry. The action star is known for his roles in films such as Top Gun, Mission Impossible, Jack Reacher, The Last Samurai, and more.
The actor has also made it big in the dramatic category as he shined in roles in films such as A Few Good Men, Eyes Wide Shut, Minority Report, and Vanilla Sky. Cruise won his first Golden Globe for Best Actor in the biographical film Born on the Fourth of July. The film saw him play the Marine Corps sergeant and anti-war activist Ron Kovic.
One of Tom Cruise’s most celebrated characters is his titular role in the sports drama Jerry Maguire. The actor won his second Golden Globe for Best Actor in the film, which is known for its extremely quotable dialogue which has found a place in several memorable lines lists. Cruise was also nominated for an Oscar for this role.
Tom Cruise’s third Golden Globe came for Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia, in which he played the role of a motivational speaker and pick-up artist called Frank Mackey. He won the award for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated for an Oscar. Cruise starred along with Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, John C Reilly, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
